November 2016 E-news: Active Parklands!

Skaters of all ages enjoyed Innoskate 2016 at the Lynch Family Skatepark on October 28 and 29. The event brought two days of discussions and skating with experts from the Smithsonian Institution, Vans and MIT's Lemelson Institute for Innovation.
Photo by Aaron John Bourque.

Inaugural Swim Park Design Charrette

The Conservancy hosted the first of five planned design charrettes for the Swim Park on Saturday, October 29. Over 40 people attended, including elected officials, community partners, Board and Advisory Board members, and major donors. Attendees brainstormed ways to make the proposed swim park more accessible, beautiful, equitable, fun, and safe. For more about the swim park, click here.

Left to right; the Conservancy Board's Swim Park Chair Jennifer Gilbert, State Representative Jay Livingstone, Conservancy President Renata von Tscharner, and Cambridge City Councilor Jan Devereux attended the first design charrette. Photo by Aaron John Bourque.

Conservancy Volunteers

Thank you to everyone who volunteered with the Conservancy in October! LEK Consulting worked in North Point Park, painting benches and removing invasive vegetation. Genzyme employees picked up litter along Soldiers Field Road in Boston and Novartis MCPHS fellows cleaned up Magazine Beach. Community members worked with the Conservancy and Friends of Herter Park to help repair the once abandoned Publick Theatre in Allston. Bunker Hill Community College and Chapel Hill - Chauncy Hall School students worked in Riverbend Park, painting benches, picking up litter, and cutting back vegetation. Harvard Kennedy School faculty picked up litter in the parklands after the Head of the Charles, and YES kids planted daffodil bulbs between the Anderson and Eliot Bridges in Boston.

To schedule a volunteer event for your business or group please contact Sasha at svallieres@thecharles.org.

It's Time to Plant Bulbs

A special thank you to Mahoney's Garden Center f or their donation of 10,000 daffodil bulbs for the Conservancy's annual bulb planting campaign. During November, volunteers will plant bulbs in the parklands and along the pathways of the Charles River, creating a beautiful spring time oasis. Thank you to Mahoney's and our volunteers!

Volunteers from Youth Enrichment Services (YES) smile while planting daffodil bulbs along the river in Boston. These volunteers are part of the Skateboarding for Good Program, a partnership between YES and the Conservancy.

Photo by Conservancy staff.

Giving Tuesday

On #GivingTuesday, the Conservancy is asking you to give online at thecharles.org and then share why you support the Conservancy on your preferred social media channel.

For example, Volunteer Sarah Smith might give $25 and then post on facebook, "Just gave $25 to support the Conservancy's ability to continue to improve our parklands! Hope you'll also act on #GivingTuesday by donating here."

This year Giving Tuesday will be on November 29th -- the last Tuesday in November, just after Thanksgiving. (You've got 19 days to gather the change in your couch cushions!) Last year, more than 45,000 organizations in 71 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. We invite you to join the movement by giving to the Conservancy this November 29.

Underpass Update

With the design at 25%, MassDOT recently submitted a written request to the Mass. Historical Commission (MHC) to initiate the consultation process for the underpass at the Anderson Memorial Bridge. MHC's input is critical for the underpass to be built. As part of the bridge restoration, the MWRA pipes have already been relocated to make the addition of an underpass easier. Visit our advocacy center to learn more about this project and to stay up to date with the underpasses campaign.

HELP WANTED: The Conservancy is looking for a volunteer with a drone and relevant permit to film the intersections of these proposed underpass locations. Please contact Kelsey at krpramik@thecharles.org if interested.

Parkland News

Protecting Open Space: Boston & Watertown Adopt the CPA

With a "yes" vote on Question 5, both Boston and Watertown adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which will add a nominal 1% surcharge to all Boston property tax bills and a 2% surcharge to all Watertown property tax bills. For more on Massachusetts' Community Preservation Act, including a detailed database of all CPA communities' project expenditures since 2001, click here. Thank you for voting for the CPA!

Radio Shows about Swimming in the Charles

Conservancy President Renata von Tscharner was recently on two radio programs speaking about the Charles River Swim Park project. Learn more and listen to theNov 4th Bloomberg Baystate Business Hour and WBZ's Sunday Review today!

Veolia Completes Final "Green Steam" Reconfiguration

In a move that is being called a "win" for the environment and for Boston and Cambridge, Veolia recently completed infrastructure improvements at their Kendall Cogeneration Station. This $112 million investment will eliminate thermal pollution to the Charles River, which will help protect fish, restore habitat, and help reduce cyanobacteria blooms. Read more here.

Park&Pedal Expanding

Park&Pedal has expanded once again! The City of Newton is the latest city to join the network, with six Park&Pedal locations added this year. Park&Pedal is a free network of parking lot hubs conveniently located cycling distance from Boston and Cambridge's employment centers, allowing one to park their car in a designated spot and pedal to work, avoiding the "last-mile" of congestion. Click here to view a map of all the Park&Pedal locations in the greater Boston area.

Help Prevent Cyanobacteria in the Charles

As we look towards swimming regularly in the Charles River, it is important to take steps towards ensuring the health of the Charles River's ecosystem. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, poses a threat to the Charles River ecosystems and public health, but the good news is; there are steps you can take to help combat these algae blooms! Our partners at the CRWA recently published a helpful blog post with 9 ways to help combat cyanobacteria blooms. All actions big and small help make difference. Learn more about what you can do here.

A Tale of Two Rivers

The Charles and the Mystic are sister rivers, located only miles apart. So why did the Charles flourish while the Mystic suffered? Read Boston Magazine's fascinating article on the history and current politics of these two famous rivers here.

Sustaining Excellence: Legacy Parks in a Changing City

Last month, John Alschuler, Chairman of HR&A Advisors spoke at the Friends of the Public Garden's Members Reception. John gave a presentation entitled Sustaining Excellence: Legacy Parks in a Changing City. To hear the talk, click here.

Harvard Conferenc e: Restoring Oceans, Restoring Climate

This conference examines eco-restoration and the power of nature to heal global damage and reverse global warming. Presenters include John Todd, Peter Giurguis, Mark McMenamin, Joe Roman, Alfredo Quarto, Randi Rotjan and many others.

Friday, November 18 - Sunday, November 20, 2016

Friday, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.